Centrifugal separation



Dec. 11, 1951 .A. NYROP CENTRI'FUGAL SEPARATION Filed April 15, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Dec. 11, 1951 NYRQP CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 13, 1948 [five/7 for A096 Wrap Afforneys Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CENTRIFUZSZZZIZPARATION Aage Nyrop, Hellernp, Denmark Application April 13, 1948, Serial No. 20,85 In Denmark May 5, 1947 by centrifugal force on the material treated.

within said body, and to the spacing between the separator body and the housing for accommodating a fluid in such spacing or'interval.

According to the invention the essential characteristic features of this separator consist in the separator comprising a stationary housing having two concentric intercommunicating compartments, of which the innermost contains a separator body, and the outermost serves as a collecting chamber for separated heavy substance, and that the interval between the separator body and the stationary housing is so narrow that during rotation of the drum no appreciable movement of the fluid in the interval or space takes place towards and away from the said collecting chamber.

In hitherto known separators of this type the stationary housing has no special collecting chamber for the separated heavy substance,

which is carried away through the interval between the drum and housing, to the effect that it becomes mixed with the fluid in this interval, and consequently a thorough separation is not attained. The separated heavy matter will cause considerable wear on the drum and housing surfaces, and the above described mixing of the separated substance with the fluid in the interval will alter the viscosity of the fluid, or effect its coefficient of friction, to the extent that power consumption for operation of the separator is increased. The deficiencies in connection with the hitherto known separators of the type in question are obviated in the separator according to the invention which is provided with packings to hinder flow from the spaces between the house ing and the separator body to the inlet and outlet, thereby avoiding pollution and insuring that the same pressure is present [in the spacings as at the periphery of the separator body. By this arrangement matter in the spaces can be replaced by fluid under pressure to. reduce abrasion, friction and power consumption.

Furthermore, the interior of the separator body is provided with one of several baffle members or partitions dividing the drum interior into a number of intercommunicating chambers or com- 8 Claims. (cuss-15) z partments, and the drum is provided with discharge outlet through which the separated heavy substance is discharged into the outermost compartment of the housing by means of centrifugal force.

According to the invention'the interval or spacing between the stationary housing and the separator body or drum may be reduced at that part thereof disposed in the vicinity of the aperture between the two compartments, thus assistin the desired impeding motion in the fluid in direction to and from said aperture.

In a modification of the separator, the area over which the substance to be separated is conveyed through the separator body is considerably increased by means of the said bafile members which are provided with openings interconnecting the chambers formed between them, so that coarse and heavy particles are separated in the chambers nearest the axisof rotation where the "centrifugal force is lowest, whereas light subcoarse or heavy particles.

through suitable discharge means without reducing the pressure generated by the centrifugal force. In this manner the eificiency of the separator is considerably enhanced.

In view of the fact that the separator body of the improved separator in the manner described is hermetically enclosed within the stationary housing by means of closed inlet and outlets, and this sealing from such spacing between the drum and housing, the separator according to the invention may be employed in the purification of waste water or sugar juice, etc., for the concentration of solutions of various substances, for extraction, for treatment of tank water in ships, for the extraction or fractionation of oils, for the treatment of combustible liquids, for the purification of gases, and for various processes in the chemical industries, since synthesis and reactions may take place during separation within the hermetically sealed drum.

Accordingly the separator may also be employed in connection with matter containing toxic gases. Another advantage of the improved separator is that the separator body may be constructed with thin walls and thus be lightly external and internal pressure effect.

According to the invention the baffle members in the separator drum may be formed as truncated cones and comprise only a single set having their bases all facing one end of the drum, or they may comprise two sets, each formed substantially as truncated cones with their bases facing each other and relatively spaced so far apart that a passage is provided between the two sets of baifle members to serve as a discharge for the separated heavy substance to the outermost section of the separator housing which section functions as a collecting chamber.

The separator may be vertical or horizontal, carried and assembled in any convenient manner.

Various other characteristic features of the separator according to the invention will be described in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates schematically and in vertical section a separator according to the invention with a vertical rotation axis,

Fig. 2 a sectional view of a modification of the throttle member in the outlet from the outermost section of the separator housing shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a schematic vertical section through a separator according to the invention with horizontal rotation axis.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified manner of construction of the throttle members of the outlet from the outermost section of the housing shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail section on line VV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line VIVI of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail view substantially on line VII-VII of Fig. 1 to show the arrangement of the ribs 65,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of the modified form shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 9 is a detail section of a modification showing how the spaces 6? and 68 of Fig. 1 may be contracted adjacent the outlets 54 and 64, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing another means for throttling the discharge of the heavy components from the separator.

Referring to the manner of construction illustrated in Fig. 1, the separator comprises a stationary housing consisting of two assembled parts 50 and 5| divided into two concentric internal sections within the innermost of which a separator body is arranged for rotation on a vertical axis. This body consists of two parts 52 and 53 assembled. in such a manner that peripheral discharge outlet 54 is provided for the discharge of separated heavy substance by centrifugal force. The interior of the separator body is provided with members in the form of discs 55, or eventually with one or several partitions 56, the discs or partitions dividing the interior of the drum into a series of chambers that communicate with each other through apertures 55a and 58a, thus increasing considerably the area over which the matter to be separated travels through the body. The separator body is suspended from a spindle 51, the lower end of which is attached to the separator body and provided with a bore 58 that communicates with the body interior, and a throw member 59 for ejecting separated light substance. A packing-60 is interposed between the spindle 51 and the housing 50 to hinder passage of fluid to or from the space 81 and to retain pressure therein. The matter to be separated is introduced to the interior of the separator body through a stationary pipe BI, and a, packing 82 is interposed between this pipe and the body part 53 to hinder the passage of fluid to or from the space 68 and retain pressure therein.

The outermost section of the stationary housing 5| includes the collecting chamber 63 for the separated heavy substance discharged from the body through the peripheral outlet 54, through an inlet aperture 64 leading to the said collecting compartment 83. The inlet aperture 84 may be provided with a number of interspaced ribs 65 traversing the slot for preventing rotation of the heavy substance entering the collecting compartment. This compartment 63 has a discharge outlet 66 for the heavy substance, and this outlet is provided with a throttle member H, for instance a valve, or it may be provided with means for continuous or intermittent discharge, or for instance as shown in Fig. 2 a duplex butterfly valve 14. In Fig. 10 is shown another form of throttling means for the discharge of the heavy com ponents from the outlet 66. It comprises discs having small apertures 83 and held in spaced relation by sleeves M to form chambers 84, these parts being held in an enlarged portion of the outlet by an apertured screw cap 82.

Instead of forming the discharge outlet of the separator body as a continuous slot, the peripheral edge of the drum may be provided with a row of holes.

Between the inner wall of the innermost sec tion of the stationary housing and the exterior wall of the separator body narrow spaces indicated by 6'! and 68 are provided. These spaces are filled with a suitable fluid in the form of either a liquid or a gas, and the spaces are so dimensioned that during rotation of the separator body the movement of the fluid in the spaces towards and away from the collecting compartment is impeded or retarded.

In the manner of construction illustrated in Fig. 3 the separator has a horizontally disposed axis of rotation, and the separator comprises a stationary housing assembled of two part indicated by i and la, and so formed as to form two concentric internal compartments divided by annular dams or weirs 38 with an interconnecting aperture 8. Within the innermost of these compartments a separator body is rotatably mounted, the body comprising two parts of which the one part 2 is rigidly attached to a tubular shaft 3, the other part 4 being provided with a threaded stud 5 that is screwed into an internally threaded hub 8 rigidly attached to the body part 2. In this manner part 4 is supported by part 2 and rotated together with it. The two body parts are substantially formed as truncated cones, the bases of which face each other and are relatively spaced apart to form an outlet passage 1 along the periphery of the two body parts, through which outlet separated heavy substance is discharged by centrifugal force from the body through the narrow aperture 8 between the dams of the assembled parts I and la of the stationary housing into the outermost compartment 9 of the housing that constitutes the collecting compartment. The housing parts I and I a, and the body parts 2 and 4 are so dimensioned that narrow spaces indicated by I 0 and II are formed between them, which spaces are filled with a fluid. The intervals or spaces are so narrow that during rotation of the separator body the movement of the fluid within the space towards and away from the collecting chamber 9 is impeded or retarded.

pressure will diffuse to the spaces 61, 68 and III,

H so that it is only necessary to convey other fluids into the spaces under pressure, for instance through pipes 69 and I0, and I2 and I3, respectively, for the purpose of counterbalancing or checking entrance of matter into said spaces impelled by the pressures generated within the interior of the separator body by the centrifugal force, if certain conditions of friction alon the exterior wall of the separator body are desired. An excess of fluid added to the space may be introduced to the body through outlets or holes I2, I3 or 3|, 32 so positioned that the said fluid is directed into the separator body at the periphery and passes centripetally through the heavy substance moving centrifugally out of the separator body. This fluid will thus move against the discharge from the separator body and may thus serve to leach or wash the slurry.

In the manner of construction shown in Fig. 3

two sets of members or discs are provided. These members or discs consist of discs I4 and I5 attached to the drum parts 2 and 4 respectively. These discs have substantially the shape of truncated cones, the bases of which face each other and are relatively spaced apart to provide a passage I6 for the discharge of the separated heavy substance. It will be noted that the heavy components will travel toward this radially disposed passage or space between the bases of the opposed sets-of discs, and that such passage is in the plane of the radial outlets I and 8. The discs are provided with apertures I1 through which the individual chambers between the discs are interconnected for sequent passages in order to increase the area over which the matter to be separated travels when passing through the separator body, as indicated by the arrows.

The chambers between discs I4 and I5 may as indicated in Fig. 3 be interconnected by means of tubular members I8 through which the matter under treatment is conveyed through the outsliding heavy substance without being mixed therewith.

The hub 5 connecting the separator body parts with each other carries a distributing disc 20 for distributing the matter to be separated in the body. This matter is conveyed to the interior of the body through a feed pipe 2I that is sealed to and carried through the part Ia of the stationary housing and through the hub of the separator body part, 4 where it is provided with a packing 34 to hinder passage to a distributor 22 formed in this hub, and communicating with inlet apertures 23 leading to the interior of the body. The separated heavy matter leaves the body through passages I6, I and aperture 8 and enters the outermost section or collecting compartment in the housing, and from here it is discharged through an outlet 24 so arranged as to retain the pressure and throttle the outflow, or it may be provided with means for a continual or intermittent discharge of heavy substance, for instance as shown in Fig. 4 by a duplex rotatable member 33.

Lighter separated matters are discharged through an. outlet 25 in the hub part of the separator body part 2, into a compartment 23 in this hub part and from there through the hollow shaft 3 which may be bipartite for discharge of two liquids of different specific gravities. The shaft is carried in bearings 21 and 2'1 in a frame 29. The shaft carries a driving wheel 30 by means of which the body is operated to rotation from a driving machine not included in the drawing. In a separator as described the effect of separation may be assisted by an electric potential imparted to the discs 55, I4 and I5 with a different potentiality to surfaces opposing each other by which the effect of centrifugal force on particles is supported by attraction or repulsion. By making said discs of different dielectric substances even the friction of the material along the surfaces may create sufficient potential to said effect. As the separator may be used for any action or process where centrifugal force is applied to ef ect separation including fractionation or synthesis, the material used for any part of the separator may be made of any suitable material which is resistant to chemical and/or abrasive action.

It will be noted that in both embodiments of the invention the separator discs have their bases so arranged that the solid components or slurry leaving them will be directed toward the interior of the narrow annular body-rim having the continuously open annular passage or outlet 54 or I which is in alinement with the radially outward discharge passage 64 or 8, these two passages for the solid constituents being in open communication with the spaces 61, 68 or I0, I I. The centrifugal pressure generated in the separator body will therefore diffuse into said spaces and the pressure within and without the body will be the same, and hence the body walls may be relatively light in weight. The dam-like members or enlargement in the housing surrounding the rim portion of the body, as shown in Fig. 9 and at 36 in Fig. 3, will restrict the passage of heavy constituents into said spaces and a limited amount of liquid or fluid may be forced into said spaces through the pipes 69, 10 or I2, I3 to displace any heavy constitutents in said spaces. It will therefore be seen that only the rim portion of' the body will rotate in the solid constituents thereby reducing friction and lessening power consumption. This is of particular importance since when the separator treats sludge and a liquid containing sludge, the slit or passage 1 must, be narrow so that the abutment surfaces between the peripheral edges of the separator body and the sludge present in the slit or passage 8 is as small as possible in order to prevent power consumption becoming too great.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal separator for the separation of solid, liquid and gaseous matter or mixtures thereof into two or more components, the combination of a generally cone-shaped separator body rotatable about its axis and containing means for centrifugally separating the components of a mixture, said means including at least one set of spaced, cone-shaped discs rotatable about their axes with their bases all axially facing in the same direction, said discs dividing the interior of said body into annular chambers, said discs having apertures for the passage between said chambers of the matter being treated, said body having a constantly open peripheral outlet 7 around the bases of said discs for the discharge of separated heavy components, means for feeding matter to be separated to the interior of said body, means for discharging the lighter components from said body, a stationary housing having inner and outer encircling compartments, the inner compartment being shaped to substantially conform to the exterior shape of said body, means for rotatably mounting said body in said inner compartment with a space between them,

said outer compartment being in communicationwith said inner compartment through a substantially annular discharge aperture encircling said peripheral outlet of said body and disposed radially outward of and in alinement with said peripheral outlet, said space between the body and the inner compartment wall being in communication with both said outlet and said discharge aperture, whereby said outer compartment receives the separated heavy components through said alined outlet and aperture and across said space, means for sealing said space between the body and the wall of the inner chamber except around said outlet of the body, and means for controlling the discharge from said outer compartment whereby the full pressure generated by centrifugal force on the matter under treatment in said separator body, will be diffused to a fluid in said space.

2. In a centrifugal separator for the separation of solid, liquid and gaseous matter or mixtures thereof into two or more components, the combination of a frame, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a separator body fixed to one end of said shaft, and having substantially the shape of truncated cones with their bases facing each other and spaced to form a constantly open peripheral outlet for the discharge of separated heavy components, a stationary housing supported on said frame and having inner and outer encircling compartments, the inner compartment being shaped to substantially conform to the exterior shape of said body and spaced therefrom, said hollow shaft extending through one side of said housing and being in communication with the interior of said body to provide outlets for the separated lighter components, a packing between said shaft and the said side of the housing to seal said space between the body and housing, a feed pipe for matter to be treated fixed to the other side of said housing in axial alinement with said shaft and extending rotatably into the interior of said body, a packing between said body and said feed pipe to seal said space between said body and housing, said outer compartment being in communication with said inner compartment through an annular discharge aperture encircling said peripheral outlet of said body and disposed radially outward of and in alinement with said peripheral outlet, said space between the body and the inner compartment wall being in communication with both said outlet and said discharge aperture, whereby said outer compartment receives the separated heavy components through said alined outlet and aperture and across said space, said annular discharge aperture being formed by dam-like annular members disposed in closely spaced relation to said peripheral outlet of said body and the communicating portions of said space to impede motion of a fluid in said space between said body and housing, means within said body for centrifugally separating the components of the matter, means for supplying a fluid under pressure to said space between said body and housing, and means for .in said separator body will be diffused to the fluid in said space.

3. In a centrifugal separator of the character set forth, the combination of a rotatable separator body having a substantially cone-shaped portion containing means for the centrifugal separation of the components of a mixture fed to said body, said body having means for the discharge of the lighter components and a constantly open peripheral outlet for the heavy ,components extending around the base of said coneshaped portion, a stationary housing having inner and outer encircling compartments, means rotatably mounting said body in said inner compartment with a space between them which is sealed except around said peripheral outlet of the body, said compartments being in communication with each other through a substantially annular discharge aperture encircling said peripheral outlet of said body and disposed radially outward of and in alinement, with said peripheral outlet, said space between the body and the inner compartment wall being in communication with both said outlet and said discharge aperture, whereby said outer compartment receives the separated heavy components through said alined outlet and aperture and across said space, means for supplyin a fluid under pressure to said space,

and means for the throttled discharge of the separated heavy matter from said outer compartment.

l. In a centrifugal separator for the separation of liquid into two or more components, a rotatable separator body shaped to have at its periphery a narrow annular rim provided with a constantly open, substanially annular passage for the discharge of heavy components separated within the body, said separator body being mounted for rotation within an inner compartment of a stationary housing, the inner walls of said compartment substantially conforming to the exterior shape of the separator body with narrow spaces between the sides of said body and said inner walls, the spaces extending from the axis of rotation to beyond said rim, said housing also having an outer compartment to receive the heavy components encircling said inner compartment and in communication therewith through a narrow annular passage disposed outward from said rim and in radial alinement with said first mentioned passage, 9. throttled discharge for said outer compartment to cause the heavy components to be discharged into it through said alined passages without reducing the pressure generated within the body and diffused to the component collected in said outer compartment, said body having associated therewith at its axis of rotation inlet means for the liquid to be treated and outlet means for the light components, such means being in sealed relation to said spaces on opposite sides of the separator body to the effect of relating the pressure prevailing in said spaces to the pressure generated in the body, frusto conical separator discs spaced apart within said separator body and having their base peripheries disposed for the discharge of separated heavy components adjacent said rim, said discs having passages interconnecting the spaces between them to facilitate the guiding the liquid treated from inlet to outlet, and means for introducing a fluid into said spaces between the separator body and the wall of said inner compartment of the housing for displacement of any heavy components which enter the last mentioned spaces. the construction and arrangement of the separator discs in the body and the body in the housing bein such that only the peripheral rim por tion of the body rotates in the heavy components. 5. The structure of claim 4 together with damlike enlargements on the housing projecting inwardly toward and encircling said rim at said passage between the two compartments to reduce the width of said spaces on opposite sides of the rim of the separator body.

6. The structure of claim 5 together with circumferentially spaced ribs traversing said annular passage which connects the two compartments to check rotational flow of the heavy components entering said outer compartment.

7. A centrifugal separator for separating liquids into two or more components characterized by ponents to and from said body at its axis of rotation, said separating body being surrounded by a flxed housing having an inner body-receiving compartment; substantially shaped to the exterior shape of said body and forming spaces axially lateral to said separator body, means for introducing into said spaces a fluid, said housin also having an outer, heavy-component-receiving compartment encircling said inner compartment and divided herefrom by means of dams in the housing positioned outwardly of and on opposite sides of said slot, in the peripheral rim of said body, saidinner compartment and said spaces being in sealed relation to said axially placed inlet and outlet means, a throttled discharge for said outer compartment for controlling the discharge of heavy components discharged from the periphery of said body into said outer compartment for the purpose of retaining the pressure generated within said body and dispersed into said outer compartment and into said spaces during discharging.

6. In a centrifugal separator for the separation of solid, liquid and gaseous matter or mixtures thereof into two or more components, the combination of a rotatable separator body having substantially the shape of truncated cones with their bases facing each other and spaced to form a constantly open peripheral outlet for the discharge of separated heavy components, means for feeding matter to be separated to the interior of said body, means within said body for centrifugally separating the components of the matter fed to said body, means for discharging the lighter components from said body, a stationary 10 housing having inner and outer encircling compartments, the inner compartment being shaped to substantially conform to the exterior shape of said body, means for rotatably mounting said body in said" inner compartment with a space between them, said outer compartment being in communication with said inner compartment through a substantially annular discharge aperture encircling said peripheral outlet of said body whereby said outer compartment receives the separated heavy components, means for sealing said space between the body and the wall of the inner compartment except around said outlet of the body, means for controlling the discharge from said outer compartment whereby the full pressure generated by centrifugal force on the matter under treatment in said separator body will be diffused to a fluid in said space, said means within the body for centrifugally separating the components of the mixture under treatment comprisin two sets of spaced and generally coneshaped discs, the bases of the discs of one set facing the bases of the other set and spaced apart to form a radially extending passage between the bases for the outlet, of the heavier components, said last mentioned radially extending passage being in radial alinement with said peripheral outlet of the body and said annular discharge aperture, said discs having apertures and dividing the interior of the body into two sets of annular chambers, and tubes extending across said radially extending passage between the sequent bases of the discs for the flow of matter under treatment from the annular chambers of one set to those of the other set without mixing with the outward flow through said radially extending passage.

AAGE NYROP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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